The Song Remains The Same
by Superwholock98
Summary: Katherine Sutton vowed to give up hunting two years ago after watching her mother die before her eyes. So when Sam and Dean Winchester show up at her door asking for her help, you can understand why she's reluctant- at first. Join Katherine, Sam and Dean on whirlwind journey that includes monsters at every turn. And who knows, there might be a little romance involved.
1. Chapter 1

The storm rolled across the sky, lightning illuminating the room and thunder shaking the windows with it's almighty roar.

I sat in the study, fanning myself with the morning paper. The inn I ran out of my mother's house was nearly full, and yet I was the only one up. That is, until they pulled in the driveway.

As I heard the car on the gravel, I got up and peeked out the window to see who could possibly be out in the storm. It was an older car, one that seemed unfamiliar to me and yet pulled at some distant memory in the back of my mind. It looked like it was from the early 70's, and had it not been for it's headlights that shone brightly in the dark, I wouldn't have noticed at all. It was all black, with silver chrome trim. A flash of lightning illuminated the car and I could clearly see that it was an old Chevy.

Two broad shouldered figures approached the door. I silently wished that that I had my handgun. I wasn't scared of the two men, but it was nearly midnight and everyone else had gone to bed. If the two men wanted to overpower me, they probably could. I'd be defenseless. Hopefully, if anything happened, I'd be able to scream and wake someone up.

"Can I help you?" I asked through the screen door.

"Are you Katherine Sutton?" asked the taller of the two.

My brows wrinkled in confusion. How could they possibly know who I am?

"Yes, that's me. What business do you have with me?" I demanded. It was a little late to be swinging by for a chat.

"My name is Sam Winchester and this is my brother Dean. Our father-" Sam stopped, choosing his words carefully. "Our father told us that you can help us."

_Winchester._ The name sounded so familiar yet I couldn't place it.

"Well, what's your father's name?" I asked.

"John Winchester. Your mom and him were really good friends," Sam replied.

That was enough to spark the memory.

_I was 10. Mom and I were sitting on the porch. She had a brush in hand and was french braiding my hair. She was just about finished when the car pulled in, and out came a tall man and two boys my age. My mom stood up immediately, as if she'd forgotten about my braid, and rushed down to the man._

"_John Winchester it's been too long," she breathed while giving him the biggest bear hug I had ever seen._

_John soon broke off the hug and gestured to his sons. "This is Dean," he said, gesturing to the oldest one, "and Sam," he said, gesturing to the youngest._

"_They're so big. It seems like just yesterday that Sammy was a baby," my mom said, her eyes beaming at the two boys. I rushed from the porch down to them and stood beside Mom._

_She chuckled. "John, this is my daughter Katherine," my mom said, introducing me._

"_Hello Katherine. I'm John. These are my sons, Dean and Sam. How old are you?"_

_I looked at John fiercely. I still didn't like mom's male friends coming around and it had been four years since my Mom and Dad had separated. "I'm ten," I said, staring at him with wild eyes.._

"_Oh, well you're in between Dean and Sam then," John said. "Sammy here is eight and Dean is 12."_

_I smiled at Sam. He gave me a small wave. Dean just stood next to his father with his arms crossed over his face, scowling. Most of my memories of Dean when we were little include him scowling._

_Mom invited John inside and suggested that the three of us go play in the backyard. We had a vast backyard, with peach trees nestled in the back corner. That was my favorite place to go._

"_Wanna have some peaches?" I asked. Sam nodded vigorously. I turned and headed around the side of the house. Before turning the corner I looked back to see Sam still planted in the same place as before, Dean still standing in the background scowling._

"_Well c'mon then," I told Sam. He ran to catch up._

_We walked slowly towards the back corner of the yard. My mom really didn't like me going back there, but it was my favorite place on the plantation to go. It was quiet; the sounds from the house hardly ever made it this far back in the yard._

"_Promise you won't tell my Mom that we went back here, okay?" I asked of Sam when we were halfway to the peach trees._

"_I promise. I don't think Dean will tattle either," Sam said, throwing a sideways glance over his shoulder. Dean was following a few yards behind us, still wearing a scowl but looking extremely curious.._

"_I bet it's nice to have a big brother. I've always wanted one, but my mommy says that she's always wanted one baby, and she wanted it to be a girl. So I guess that means I don't get any brothers or sisters," I told Sam._

_He nodded his head like he understood. Maybe he did. Maybe John had said the same thing to him once._

_We were a few yards away from the peach trees now. "Through here," I said, pointing at the peach trees._

"_Looks kinda creepy," Sam said hesitantly, stopping in his tracks._

"_You'll be fine, Sam," I said to him._

_He nodded and we headed towards the trees. But before we could even get to them, Dean cut in front of us and strode up to the trees, taking a peach from the tree and taking a huge bite out of it._

"_Hey!" I yelled, my voice laced with anger. "Who said you could do that?"_

"_I did," Dean said, his voice cocky. He smirked at me condescendingly._

"_Well they're mine so if you want another bite you're going to have to fight me for it!" I warned, my face getting redder and hotter by the second._

"_Oh really?" said Dean, and then he took a second bite from the peach._

_I lunged at him, knocking the peach out of his hand and landing a huge punch to his stomach. Dean looked stunned for a minute before his eyes turned dark with anger and he lunged at me._

_I jumped out of the way just in time, avoiding a blow to the stomach myself. Dean became even angrier. He didn't like being beat by a girl._

_He lunged for me again, and this time, I didn't get out of the way in time. He hit me in the stomach and I doubled over in pain. My eyes watered and my stomach pained me, but somehow I managed to stand up straight and I threw a punch at his face. I felt a satisfied crunch under my fist as I made impact._

_Before Dean could react, John and Mom came and pulled us apart. We both thrashed, wanting to finish what we started, but it was no use. Our tiny bodies were no match to those of our parents._

_When our parents finally got us inside and calmed down, we each got the same spiel._

"_Haven't I taught you not to fight anyone unless they're going to hurt you Katherine?"_

"_How many times do I have to keep repeating myself, Dean? You're not allowed to hit girls. Or anyone for that matter, unless they're threatening your safety."_

"_Katherine, I want you to apologize to Dean."_

"_Dean, I want you to apologize to Katherine."_

_We made our apologies through gritted teeth and avoided each other for the rest of the week while John and Mom did research on how to kill whatever John was hunting._

I snapped out of my memories and Sam and Dean looked at me expectantly.

"I remember you two," I said with a smile. "I beat Dean's ass because he ate one of my peaches."

Sam snorted with laughter and Dean scowled. Some things just don't change.

"For the record, if our parents wouldn't have torn us apart I totally would've won," Dean defended.

"But they did pull us apart, and since I broke your nose I think it's safe to say that I won," I teased.

Dean huffed. "Look, we don't really have time for this. We need your help."

"The most I can do for you two right now is give you both a place to sleep. Anything else will have to wait until morning," I told them.

"Look, this really can't wait until morning," Dean said.

"Then I guess I can't really help you," I retorted.

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sammy, try to talk some sense into this girl, will ya?" Dean asked.

Sam rolled his eyes but turned to me anyway. "Look, we were hoping you'd help us figure out what we're up against on our hunt," he said.

"No. Absolutely not. I gave up hunting when I watched my mother murdered in front of me. I'm sorry but I can't help you," I said, turning away from them.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I didn't know," Sam said somberly. "When the townspeople said that your mother was gone we thought she was on a hunt."

"Well she's not," I said harshly, turning around and staring at Sam and Dean with my eyes narrowed. "I suggest you two leave unless you are staying the night. In that case, follow me," I said.

I watched Sam and Dean exchange glances in my peripheral vision. Dean shrugged and they followed me up the stairs.

I led them down the hallway to one of the empty rooms. It was the last room empty with two twin beds. I opened the door and turned the light on, ushering them inside.

"Two beds. There's a TV, dresser, alarm clock, and a sink. The toilets and showers are in the basement and first floor. There's two keys in the bedside stand. Breakfast starts at 7 and lasts until 10. Don't be late or you won't be fed. If you need anything, let me know. I'll be around," I told them.

I turned around to leave but had a sudden thought at the last second. "I'm usually up until midnight so if you are out hunting and know you aren't going to make it by then, let me know. I'll leave the door unlocked," I added.

Sam and Dean nodded and I went back downstairs, making sure to shut their door behind me.

The next morning I woke bright an early; 5:30 am. I hadn't gotten much sleep but I was used to that. Since my mom died, I'd had a harder and harder time sleeping. Some nights her death replayed in my head, the nightmare from hell. Other nights, I just couldn't find sleep.

Around 9, the boys came downstairs for breakfast. I had to fight a smile. They were both still half asleep, and Sam's hair was sticking up at odd angles. I dropped the plates I was carrying off into the dirty dishes bucket and walked up to them.

"Still tired I see," I teased.

"What gave us away?" Sam asked.

"Oh, you know, the fact that you look like zombies walking in here. And you haven't even brushed your hair yet," I said, reaching up and ruffling his hair.

"So where's this food you talked about last night?" Dean butted in.

I rolled my eyes. "In there," I said, gesturing to the dining room. "It's buffet. Take a plate and fill it up. You have to git a clean plate every time but that's the only rule we have in there," I said.

"Alright, thanks," Sam said.

"No problem," I said, giving him a smile.

Sam and Dean went into the dining room and I turned around to go back into the kitchen. Before I could, however, I was intercepted by by Tori, a girl I'd grown up with and who helped me run the inn.

"Who are _they_?" Tori asked.

"Sam and Dean Winchester. Their father and my mom were good friends," I told her. She fanned herself with her hand.

"They are H-O-T," she said breathlessly.

"I guess," I said. They _were_ attractive, but I looked at Sam like a brother and I couldn't help but make jokes at Dean's expense, so I'd never really thought about them that way before.

"You guess?" Tori asked incredulously.

"I've just never thought about them that way, ya know? Sam is like a younger brother and Dean is... Impossible," I said finally.

Tori winked at me. "I like a challenge," she said, before disappearing down the hall. I rolled my eyes. Tori loved men. I sometimes joked that she changed boyfriends as often as she changed her underwear. She knew I was joking but there was some truth behind it.

I went into the kitchen. Our hired cook, Marcus, was at the stove, a big vat of gravy in front of him. I grabbed a spoon and took a bite.

"You're definitely the best cook I've ever met," I said to Marcus. He smiled at me and gestured to the biscuits.

"Mind taking those out to the dining room?" Marcus asked.

"Not a problem. I'll also check to see if there's anything else we need out there," I said, grabbing the biscuits and exiting the kitchen.

When I walked into the dining room, I glanced around the room and saw Tori leaning on the table in front of Sam and Dean, her cleavage obviously showing. Sam wasn't paying any attention to her but Dean's eyes kept drifting down.

I set down the biscuits and walked over to the table. "I see you've met Sam and Dean," I said with a sweet smile on my face.

"I have," said Tori with a questioning look on her face.

"How long are you two gonna be in town?" I asked them.

Sam looked up at me and gave me a pointed look. I knew that look. It was the same look John had given me when I asked too many questions about what he and my mom were hunting.

"A week or so," Sam replied. Then he smiled. "Or until you get tired of us."

I chuckled. "I hope you both are both enjoying breakfast," I told them. "We don't serve lunch but we'll have granola bars and snack foods out until an hour before dinner which starts at 4pm and goes until 7," I told them. Sam nodded.

"Well I've gotta get back to Marcus in the kitchen," I said, giving them all a smile.

"Give my best to the cook back there," Dean said, finally taking his gaze off of Tori. "Those were the best damn biscuits and gravy I've ever had in my entire life."

I chuckled. "It's his mother's recipe. Can't get better than good 'ol southern cooking."

Dean nodded and I made made my way back to the kitchen. "How's the quantity of everything?" Marcus asked.

"Almost everything is half full or over. I really don't think we need to put much more out though. Not many people haven't eaten yet so we'll have plenty of food left at the end of breakfast," I told him. He nodded.

"I planned on making peach pie for later but there aren't any fresh peaches in here. Could you go pick some?" Marcus asked.

"Of course," I said with a smile. I grabbed a bucket and some napkins. I couldn't pick peaches without eating one or two and that meant I was going to get sticky. "I'll be back in a bit."

Marcus just smiled and shook his head. I headed out the back door to the peach grove still residing in the back corner of the yard. I sometimes came out here when I needed time to think, or when I just needed a sweet fix.

The fruit hung heavy on the trees. It was time to harvest them. I immediately regretted not getting more than one pail. When peach season started, people were lining up down the driveway for our peaches and peach pie. Marcus had made a name for himself with that peach pie. Peaches were the reason we stayed open all year.

I began picking them, one at a time, throwing out the ones with flaws or, more often, eating them. I hadn't even filled the first bucket and I was already so full that I knew I probably would skip dinner if I kept up the pace.

I heard the sound of a twig snapping underfoot behind me and I whipped my head around. Dean was standing behind me, a bucket in hand and an eager look on his face.

"Need any help?" he asked. I was a little shocked that he was offering help but I didn't protest. I did need another hand.

"As a matter of fact, I could use an extra hand," I said. "If there's a flaw, go ahead and throw it out. Or eat it. But we only sell the best so make sure they're as flawless as a peach can possibly get," I told him. He nodded.

"So, why aren't you inside with Sam trying to crack the case?" I asked.

Dean chuckled. "I'm not the book type. I leave that to Sammy. Besides, this gives me an excuse to eat as many peaches as I want." I rolled my eyes.

We worked in silence for a while. Sometimes one could hear the occasional squirt of juice as a bite was taken out of a peach, but otherwise, the only noises were those that came from the woods around us.

"I'm sorry about your mom," Dean said while we were picking peaches from two adjacent trees.

I took a sharp breath in. I usually avoided the topic of my mother at all costs. It was painful talking about her. The few times I did I would always start to feel the sinking feeling in my stomach and the tightness in my chest that I had experienced when I watched her be murdered in cold blood…

"Katherine, are you alright?" Dean asked. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile.

"You sure because I could finish if-" Dean began, but I interrupted him.

"I'm fine Dean. Really," I told him. He nodded.

"I just… don't talk about Mom that often. It hurts," I said while plucking a peach from the tree.

I dusted my hands on my pants and picked up my bucket. It was heavy, but nothing I couldn't handle.

Mom had enrolled me in karate the moment I turned four. It didn't take long for me to earn my black belt and after that I just kept climbing as high as I could. When I turned 16, I gave it up so I could hunt full time with my mom but I haven't ever forgotten what I learned. And it's also had an impact on how fit I am; even though I was a small child, I would carry and lift some things that even Mom wouldn't attempt. And even though I'd quit eight years ago, I still kept my body toned and strong. Even if I wasn't using it to hunt anymore.

"We should head in. I've gotta help Marcus make the peach pie for dessert tonight and you've got something supernatural to hunt," I said. Dean nodded in agreement.

"I can take that," Dean said, reaching out and trying to grab my bucket of peaches. I pulled my hand away.

"I am capable of carrying this myself, thank you very much," I said. Dean chuckled.

"You are a pistol," he said.

"I have to be, don't I? I'm a woman, and I was a hunter. People have a hard enough time taking women seriously, let alone women hunters," I replied.

Dean didn't have much to say to that, which surprised me. He had to know I was right. I'd seen men harass women hunters just because they could. Heck, there weren't even that many women who hunted by themselves in the first place. Most women hunted with their husbands, or their immediate family members if they were hunters. Women solo hunters were pretty much nonexistent.

The walk back up to the house was a silent one. Dean dropped the peaches off in the kitchen and then went to see if Sam had found anything. I'd assumed he hadn't, though. He would've told Dean already.

Marcus and I got busy peeling peaches. It was an arduous task that took most of the afternoon. Halfway Marcus dropped off to prep for the pie, which he placed in the oven just before dinner. I sighed and wiped my brow as I finished my peeling my last peach. It was a long day.

* * *

**Hello everyone! This is my first attempt at a Supernatural fanfic, although I have written a few Walking Dead fics on another site. I sincerely hope you like this!**

**Let me know what you guys think. It'd mean the world to me. **

**xx Superwholock98**


	2. Chapter 2

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I ended up where I needed to be."

-Douglas Adams

I read the words over and over again. Someone, probably Tori, wrote the words on a Post-It and stuck it on my computer screen. The words made me think a bit. _Where was I supposed to be?_

Of course, I'd never know for sure. I just had to go down the path I thought was right. As it turns out, that path was exactly the opposite I was expecting.

I rose from my seat in my study and made my way down the hall to the stairs. Sam had been holed up in his room all day, surfing the net, trying to find anything that could help him. Dean was in town, seeing if he could dig anything up there. I made my way up the stairs and then to the door to Sam and Dean's room.

Their door was shut, so I rapped lightly on it. Moments later, Sam answered, looking slightly frustrated.

"Can I come in?" I asked. Sam moved slightly and gestured for me to come in.

I was met with a quite comical sight: one bed was almost made and the other was a ball of sheets. I chuckled. There was no way the messy bed wasn't Dean's.

"How's your research coming?" I asked of Sam. He shook his head and sighed.

"Nothing. I mean, usually we have a theory by now but we literally have nothing other than a little speculation," Sam said.

"I wish I could help," I said.

There was an uncomfortable silence. I _could _help, but I chose not to. For good reason, but still.

"Maybe you can help," Sam said after a moment.

"Sam…" I warned. I wasn't going to help and that was final.

"Not you physically… more like you give us access," he began excitedly.

Uh oh. I didn't like the sound of that.

Sam noticed my expression and backpedaled.

"Look, it'd be really helpful if we could see some of your mother's notes and things. You wouldn't have to tell us anything. It'd just be access to her papers," Sam said. I sighed.

"Sam…" I began, just as Dean burst in.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Actually, you got here just in time," Sam said.

"Ew man, no way. Do what you want but don't get me involved," Dean said.

"Oh please. Get your head out of the gutter," I said, sighing.

"Just ignore my brother. He's never quite grown out of his immature teenager phase," Sam joked. I smiled.

"Ha ha, very funny," Dean mocked.

Dean took off his suit jacket and threw it on his bed. After loosening his tie, he sat on the end of the bed and looked at Sam and I expectantly.

"So, what did I get here just in time for?" Dean asked.

"I'm trying to convince Katherine to give us access to her mom's books and papers. It'll help us figure out what we're up against and-"

"Alright," I interrupted. I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.I wasn't ready to let anyone, even myself, go through my mother's things. But Sam and Dean needed my help. It was the least I could do for them.

"You can use mom's lore and research on one condition," I told them.

Sam nodded eagerly, but Dean looked skeptical.

"Well, what is it?" he asked.

"The papers don't leave my study," I told them.

"Fine," Sam said in agreement. Dean nodded as well.

I sighed heavily. _What was I getting myself into?_

"C'mon," I said finally. Sam and Dean followed me down the stairs to the study. I passed Tori, who raised her eyebrows, questioning me, but I just shrugged.

Once inside the study, I shut the door behind me and made my way over to an ornately decorated wooden chest that had been in the family for generations and that I'm pretty sure hadn't left the house in nearly two hundred years.

"Here," I said, popping it open and revealing the various contents within. Several crumbling, leather bound books sat on top, but underneath I could see many of mom's handwritten notes. I hadn't looked at this stuff in nearly two years. I felt a pang in my chest. It didn't seem like it had been that long.

Longing started creeping up on me, but I dismissed it. I wouldn't let myself get mixed up in it all again.

Sam and Dean kneeled in front of the trunk, taking out the books and papers.

"I'm going to get something to drink. Do you two want anything?" I managed to ask.

"Two beers, if you got 'em," Dean said. I nodded and left the room, closing the door behind me, then making my way to the kitchen.

Marcus was standing at the counter, cutting up vegetables for the soup he was making for dinner. I slid behind him to get to the fridge, and Marcus glanced up at me as I did so.

"How are things?" he asked.

"Fine," I replied simply, grabbing three bottles of beer and shutting the door.

"I hope all of those aren't for you," Marcus joked.

"Nah," I said. "One each for Sam, Dean and I."

Marcus focused on the veggies in front of him for a moment before setting his knife down and turning to me.

"They're both hunters, aren't they?" he asked.

"Yeah, they are, why?" I asked, a bit concerned as to why he was asking.

"They've got that air about them. Tough guys in biker boots, driving an old Impala. It was a hunch, but it was a good one," Marcus said.

I chuckled. Marcus was right. I hated to generalize male hunters but they were inda all the same. Collared shirts, boots, worn jeans, and a rugged look about them kinda just came with the job.

"Are you planning on hunting again?" Marcus asked slowly, gauging whether or not I would get upset by the question.

"Of course not," I replied. "I'm just helping Sam and Dean out. I'm never going back to hunting," I told him.

Marcus paused for a second. "You know, it would be okay if you did," Marcus said quietly.

I nodded slightly. I didn't know what to say to that. _What could I say to that?_

After an awkward silence that felt like eternity, I cleared my throat tentatively.

"I'd better bring them their beers," I said.

Marcus nodded and I made my way back to the study. The boys were arguing when I opened the door.

"Dean, this could be a lead!" Sam said in exasperation.

"What's going on?" I asked, handing them a beer each. I popped open my own and took a sip.

"I found something but Dean here doesn't find it a plausible theory," Sam started.

"Well, what is it?" I asked of Sam.

"He thinks it's a succubus," Dean interjected skeptically.

"So?" I asked. "Why doesn't that seem plausible?"

"Because succubi are beautiful women. They aren't killing children. They're trying to make demon babies," Dean said.

"Actually," I said, grabbing one of the old leather bound books, "Succubi can and will kill children. I've even heard of them being able to cause infertility."

Dean's face took on a stony expression as I flipped through the book and, upon finding the page I was looking for, I handed it to him.

"Read it out loud," I told him. He sighed.

"Succubi can prey on children- boys until circumcision at eight days and girls for twenty days- but also attack women causing infertility and difficult births, even miscarriages," Dean read, his tone softening with each word. He knew Sam was right, and he didn't like it.

"So if it is a succubi, how do we kill it?" Dean asked.

"Well, most lore suggest that they are demons and can therefore be excorsized," Sam said.

I took a drink of my beer, finishing it then setting it down on the side table next to my armchair.

"So how did you hear about this job anyway?" I asked, sitting down on the arm of the chair.

"We found the coordinates written in the back of our dad's journal," Dean replied.

"Where is John, by the way?" I asked. Sam's attention immediately turned to the ceiling, and it took Dean a moment to answer.

"We don't know. He's out there somewhere, but he's gone missing and he's making it real hard for us to find him," Dean managed eventually.

"I'm so sorry boys. But I know your dad is a good hunter. He'll pull through and be back in no time," I assured. Sam nodded.

After some time, I decided to break the silence that engulfed us.

"So, what all have you found other than the fact that it's a succubi," I asked.

Sam sighed and shuffled some papers.

"Well, there are several couples experiencing infertility. Enough that there have been investigations into the food and water supply to see if anything is going on with them that would cause it. There's also been several infant deaths; all in their own homes and all after the mom's have put them down for a nap. All the doors and windows were locked, and the mother's don't recall hearing or seeing anyone in the house. The mother's go to check on the babies in their beds and find them strangled to death. Infertility, the death of children… the only thing missing from this case is the demonic children," Sam informed me. I nodded.

"Maybe that's coming next," I reasoned.

"Well then we've gotta find this evil bitch and destroy her before that happens," Dean reasoned.

"It's not gonna be that easy. Succubi disguise themselves as human women. Beautiful human women, but still," I told Dean.

"So we find the most beautiful woman in town and gank her. End of story," Dean replied.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"Dean, we can't just kidnap the prettiest woman in town and try to exorcise her," Sam said.

Dean huffed. "Well then, what are we going to do?" he demanded.

Sam opened his to speak, but my mouth got the best of me and I cut him off.

"The way I see it," I began, "there's two options; use you as bait or use me as bait."

Sam and Dean stared at me with open mouths. They probably couldn't tell if I was serious or not. Hell, I couldn't tell if I was serious or not myself.

"You're going to help us?" Sam asked skeptically.

I sighed. "Yes. I mean no. I don't know. Honestly, I never thought I'd even talk to another hunter for the rest of my life. And you two walk in and…" I trailed off.

I wasn't sure what had gotten into me. I wanted to help, but the voice in the back of my mind told me it was wrong. I didn't know if I should listen to my heart or my head. I was usually rational, always listening to my head, but my heart had never felt so strongly before.

Sam and Dean looked at me expectantly. I decided to choose my heart for once.

"I'll help. Just this once. I'm not going back to hunting," I said, more for my own benefit than Sam and Dean's.

Dean smiled slightly but Sam's face remained unchanged.

"So how are we gonna do this?" Dean asked.

"Do me a favor and hand me a map of the town," I said, ignoring his question.

Dean looked puzzled but obliged anyway. I grabbed a red pen and began marking where all the infants had been murdered.

"How is this supposed to help?" Sam demanded.

I passed him the map. "Look at this and tell me what you see," I told him.

He stared at the map for sometime before answering. "All the houses are in a two block radius from the intersection here," Sam said finally.

"Yeah, so?" Dean asked.

"There are three businesses located at that intersection. A real estate office, a coffee shop, and a daycare- after school program for kids," I began. "Our monster is located near there, I guarantee it. And with a daycare nearby, it's prime hunting grounds for a succubi. If we're going to find it, it'll probably be by hanging around there for a while."

"So what, we're just supposed to sit around and look for a woman eyeing the little kids at the daycare?" Dean demanded.

"Actually, we're going to shop for houses and a daycare for when the baby is born," I replied with a smirk.

"What-" Dean began before stopping and taking in my almost evil smirk. "I don't like that look," he said.

"Honestly, I've never met anyone who did," I said, my smirk widening. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

**Hey guys! Thank you for taking the time to read this! It means so much to me! **

**I would really appreciate it if you could leave a comment below and tell me what you think so far! It'd mean the world to me.**

**XX Superwholock98**


	3. Chapter 3

"This is never going to work," Dean whined while picking at the buttons on the button down shirt I made him wear.

"It will too. All you have to do is sell it," I hissed, slapping his hand away from the buttons.

"This is not my thing at all," Dean muttered under his breath.

"Oh get over it," I told him. "You could be home doing research like Sam. I'd gladly take him with over you."

Dean groaned. He didn't want to be doing research but he didn't want to be here with me either. Oh well. He'd have to get over it.

"Remember, all you've gotta do is play your part. Dean Gordon, husband, teacher, future father," I said. Dean huffed loudly. I knew he didn't think this would work. But I didn't care. I knew what I was doing.

I twirled my mother's wedding ring around my finger. I had been reluctant to wear it but I soon found out that I didn't have much of a choice. If I was going to pull this off, I had to wear it.

I sighed heavily and glanced at Dean, who was watching me, waiting for me to make a move. "C'mon," I said, making a move to get out of the Impala. "We'd better do this and get it over with."

Dean sighed and we both exited the vehicle and approached the door to the daycare. The front windows were painted with rainbows and the handprints of the children, and I was instantly repulsed. It wasn't that I hated kids; it was just I didn't ever want any. I'd never wanted children. They were just too much for me to handle. They always had been.

We entered the building and a younger woman with blonde hair and brown eyes looked up from where she was kneeled on the floor next to a little boy.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"I sure hope so. My name is Katherine Gordon, and this is my husband Dean," I said, taking his hand. "We recently moved here and we're expecting in several months, so we were hoping we could take a tour and get some information about your facilities."

The woman smiled. "Of course. Anna is in the back. Just follow the hallway and it's the last door on the left. She can help you," she instructed.

"Thanks," Dean said, and we made our way down the hall.

"See, it wasn't so bad," I said to Dean. He threw me a dirty look. Apparently he didn't see eye to eye with me in that respect.

The door that the blonde woman had instructed us to go to was closed. The soft sound of the violin creeped out despite this fact, and it reminded me of the time that mom had taken me to a symphony orchestra concert.

"Well, knock," I told Dean. He rolled his eyes but obliged anyway, rapping lightly on the door with his knuckles and then stepping back and waiting patiently for 'Anna' to answer the door.

The violin stopped and seconds later, the door opened. A dark haired woman with wide eyes stood on the other side. She bore a striking resemblance to a psychic I had met once in Illinois, but unlike that psychic, she was wearing a blouse and a pair of khaki pants. I wondered vaguely why someone who worked at a daycare would wear khaki pants, but dismissed that thought; she was working in the office after all.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

I opened my mouth to speak but Dean was quicker.

"We're looking into daycares in the area. My wife is expecting soon and we're new to the area so we thought we'd do a little research before things get too hectic with the baby," he said.

"C'mon in then," she said amiably. She ushered us inside and closed the door behind us lightly. I held tightly onto my purse; I had packed it with a small handgun, salt, and holy water, among other things. I didn't feel threatened but I didn't really see any reason for the door to be closed, so I was definitely keeping a guard up.

"So, how far along are you?" she asked.

"Only a few months. But we thought since we just moved here we might as well get our ducks in a row 't want to be rushing around at the last minute. Besides, it's good to know what resources are in the area when you move to a new place,"I told her.

The lady smiled. Something about her put me off. Maybe it was how creepy her smile was. Whatever it was, she just seemed off to me.

"You're totally right. You can never be too prepared," she agreed. She turned her chair to face the lone file cabinet in the room. Pulling the cabinet open, she grabbed some papers and then handed them to me.

"Here are our rates for the year, although I'm sure it'll be next year before your bouncing bundle of joy is here," she said with almost a sneer on her face.

There was an uncomfortable silence as I looked over the papers, trying to look like I cared. I had forgotten how arduous this job could be.

Dean cleared his throat to break the silence. "How about that tour then?"

"Of course," she said, and then stood up. Dean stood quickly and opened the door, side stepping out into the hall. I went to follow him, but Anna grabbed my arm and pulled me back to her.

"You're not pregnant," she said before I could speak.

"Of course I am. Don't be absurd," I said to her, the color draining slightly from my face.

"Honey, I've been in the business of babies for longer than I can remember. You're about as pregnant as I am," she said.

I took a step back, wrenching my arm from her grasp. "Dean," I said over my shoulder. He poked his head into the room slightly. "We'll be leaving now."

"But the tour-" he began, but I cut him off.

"We're leaving," I snapped unintentionally. I softened my voice before beginning again. "I don't want any child of mine going here," I told him softly.

"Good day, mrs," I said to her, and then took off down the hallway, ignoring all the children and teachers who gawked at me from their classrooms, and Dean following at my heels.

I exited through the door, then crossed the parking lot to the Impala. There, I leaned up against it, pinching the bridge of my nose and trying to calm my erratic heartbeat.

"What was that all about?" Dean demanded when he caught up with me.

"She accused me of lying about being pregnant," I told him with a sigh. "But she's not the succubi."

"How can you possibly know that?" Dean demanded.

I sighed. "None of the parents who've lost children had any connections to this place. The only reason we're checking it out is because it's the center of all the houses. And she's a pretty ugly old broad to be a succubi," I said.

Dean shrugged. "Look, we need to find this thing before it kills more kids," he said. "Let's look at the facts; all the kids were centered around here, right?" he asked. I nodded. "All three were newborn infants," he stated. I nodded again. Dean mulled over the information for a moment before pointing to the cafe.

"I bet there are a lot of late nights with newborns," he said.

I nodded. Of course there were. Especially with newborns that were really fussy. But I wasn't sure where he was getting at.

"I bet a lot of mother's need an extra boost of java in the morning," Dean said, and it finally clicked into place. Maybe we weren't looking for a connection to the children; maybe we were looking for a connection to their mothers.

"Alright," I said with a sigh. "Let's see if we can try our luck there. Even if there isn't anything, we can at least get some coffee."

Dean nodded and started up the Impala. It probably would've been easier to walk the small distance but 1) we had just screwed with the woman who owned the daycare we were parked in and 2) Dean was overly attached to his car.

Once at the cafe, we exited the car and headed inside. We walked up to the counter, where a young boy in a black polo stood behind the register.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"I'll have a coffee, black," Dean said.

I looked at the menu displayed above the cashier's head and contemplated on what I should get. I quickly decided.

"I'll have a caramel frappe," I told him. He punched it into his computer and as an afterthought, I added, "Oh, and a chocolate chip muffin," I said.

The young man nodded and Dean made a move for his wallet, but I had already beaten him to it, pulling out my own and handing the cashier a $20 bill before he could even tell me the total.

"I can pay," Dean said.

"It's my turn," I said to him with a smile.

I was handed my change and my muffin, and the boy began to make our drinks, pouring Dean's coffee outright and handing it to him and then mixing up my drink. Dean raised an eyebrow at me when he saw how much work the barista was going through to make my drink, but I just shrugged him off.

I was handed my drink but before he could turn around and leave, I elbowed Dean. "Figure out if someone works early mornings," I hissed. Dean sighed but didn't protest and I headed to a table to sit down.

"Are you expecting?" asked a woman, maybe a few years older than me. She was sitting a few seats down from me and was wearing the standard issued scrubs from the local hospital. She had long black hair and dark eyes, and she looked a little foreign. Perhaps of Central American descent? I wasn't sure.

"Yes, how did you know?" I asked brightly. I was getting a little tired of the charade but if we were going to figure out who this succubi was I'd have to keep it up.

"You were over at the daycare," she replied. "I couldn't help but notice the car. It's a nice ride your husband has there."

I smiled and took a drink of my frappe before replying. "It was his dad's. He loves it to pieces," I told her.

"I'm Jordana," she told me.

"Katherine," I said, returning the favor. "Are you a nurse?"

Jordana smiled but shook her head. "Not really. Well, kinda. I work in the NICU with all the babies," she replied. "My title isn't nurse but that's pretty much what I do."

"Interesting," I said, taking another sip from my drink and nibbling on my muffin.

"Nah, not really. The heart surgeons are the interesting ones," she joked. I chuckled.

Dean appeared behind me at that moment. He looked from me to Jordana, nodded to her, and then sat across from me.

"Dean, this is Jordana. She works in the NICU at the hospital," said.

"Pleasure," he said, although it sounded like it was anything but.

He was frustrated, which must've meant that the barista was a dead end of info. I sighed. This was my least favorite part of hunting. The answers were so close, and yet I still couldn't reach them.

"Nothing?" I asked of Dean no louder than a whisper.

He shook his head, not even bothering to reply audibly.

"Alright," I said. "Let's get out of here."

Dean nodded and I stood up, pushing my chair in before approaching Jordana. "It was nice meeting you," I said with a smile. I held out my hand for her to shake and she took it.

"And you as well," she said, shaking my hand before releasing it.

We made our way outside and, while my hand was poised on the handle of the Impala to open the door, the worst pain I'd ever experienced in my life ripped through my lower abdomen. I let out a cry of pain and sank to my knees.

Dean rushed around the car, catching me before I totally fell to the ground. I heard the sound of running feet and looked up to see Jordana running towards us.

"Is she alright?" she asked.

"I don't know she just sorta fell," Dean said.

"My abdomen-" I managed, before snapping my jaw and eyes shut. I could feel the tears streaming down my face from wherever they could creep out.

The pain was excruciating. My lower right side felt like it could explode at every second. I could feel every beat of my heart there. I took a deep breath and looked up at Dean and Jordana.

"I need- hospital…" I managed. Dean nodded and began to help me up so I could be loaded into the impala.

"Let me go with. If something happens between now and then I'll be there to help," Jordana offered. "After all, I am a nurse."

Dean nodded. "Fine. I'll lay her in the back. You can sit back there with her while I drive," he said.

Dean picked me up swiftly, and if I hadn't been in excruciating pain, I might've gotten a little dizzy. He laid me across the seat and then Jordana slid onto the seat, placing my head in her lap.

"Having fun yet?" she whispered to me as Dean slid into the front seat. Her eyes went black for a split second, but before I could say anything, another wave of pain hit, and I could feel myself slipping from consciousness.

I managed to say Christo before blacking out completely.

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	4. Chapter 4

I blinked awake in the florescent lights. They blinded me for a single moment, but I blinked, and things started coming into focus. The pale blue walls. The ugly checkered curtain pushed so that it was against the wall.

A beeping noise broke began to register and I realized I was hooked up to a machine and a IV was sticking out of my arm. I tried to sit myself up, but failed miserably. I felt a presence in the room, and looked up to see Tori standing in the doorway, Marcus, Sam and Dean not far behind.

"You're awake," Tori said quietly.

"How long have I been out?" I asked.

"Day and a half," she said, coming in to sit at the end of my bed. Sam, Dean and Marcus followed, but they all stood at the foot of my bed.

"Has it been that long?" I asked.

Dean nodded. "You blacked out in the impala about thirty seconds before I realized what was going on," he said quietly. "There was a moment when she said something about the baby after you blacked out, and I knew it had to be her. Makes sense too. Work in the NICU and you've got access to all the baby's records. You can find out everything about them by a few sheets of paper in a file."

"What happened while I was blacked out?" I asked. Tori smirked.

"I lied and said that I was your sister. That meant I had total control over your medical as your only surviving relative. First they drugged you pretty heavily, then they gave you some contrast through an IV and gave you a CT scan. It came back fine, thank goodness, so they did an ultrasound and once again, found tried every test they had, and everything came up negative. So the doctor chalked it up as abdominal migraines and said that until you woke up you were to keep getting low doses of pain medicine. That was last night. He also said once you woke up he was going to keep you one more night before he released you just in case. But from what I hear everything's taken care of," she said, glancing at Dean.

"How'd you gank her?" I asked.

"I just exorcised her. I was driving 70 miles an hour and she knew I was gonna find her no matter what. She must've met a hunter before," he said. "Anyway, she's gone now. Back in hell where she belongs."

I nodded slowly, letting it all sink in. It was a lot to take in. Slowly, everything started to sink in and I looked at Dean intently.

"You saved my life," I said to him.

He shrugged. "Not really. The doctor didn't find anything wrong with you. I just sent that bitch back where she can rot forever if we're lucky."

I chuckled and tried to sit up in bed once more. Tori reached over and helped me by adjusting the slope of the head of the bed.

"Better?" she asked when I had situated myself in a near upright position.

I nodded in agreement.

Marcus and Sam stood silently in the back of the pack, not saying a word. Marcus wasn't a chatty Cathy at the best of times but it surprised me that he hadn't spoken up. And I had expected Sam to at least add something to the conversation.

"We're not in a library, guys. You two can talk," I said, addressing both Sam and Marcus. Marcus chuckled and Sam gave a small smile, the latter finally speaking to me.

"You gave us quite a scare there, when you didn't wake up after a day," Sam said.

"I had to get my beauty rest, Sam," I said as seriously as I could muster.

Tori snickered and Dean cracked a small smile. I could see the wheels turning in Marcus' head before he finally spoke up.

"Honey I think you need to go back to sleep," he said playfully.

I looked down at my arm, which of course had an IV in it, and then to my chest, where I could see the hospital gown in all it's ugly glory. I heaved a sigh.

"If I wasn't tied down with this IV and wearing a nearly transparent gown you'd be getting beat up by a girl," I said, once again feining seriousness but not succeeding quite well enough.

Marcus came over and kissed me on the forehead before stepping back.

"I've gotta go, love. My momma keeps insisting I come for dinner and doesn't seem to care if my best friend is in the hospital," he said, rolling his eyes. "I'll try to be up later and if not I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright. Have fun," I teased, knowing he'd be having anything but.

Marcus left and Tori stood, throwing a glance at Sam and Dean who nodded behind her.

"We're gonna let you get some rest. We'll be up in the morning," Tori said.

"Alrighty. Thanks for being up here even when I was conked out," I told them.

"It's nothing, really," Dean and Tori replied simultaneously, before looking at each other like they'd never spoke the same thing as someone else before.

"You alright there, guys?" I asked. They both chuckled and looked at their feet.

"We'd better get going," Dean said. Tori nodded but Sam waved them away.

"Give me five minutes?" he asked. Dean looked confused but nodded and both he and Tori left the room.

Sam walked over without speaking and sat in the hard chair residing next to my bed. I stared at him intently, but he just stared at his hands, which were folded in his lap. After a few moments, I finally spoke up.

"Tick tock," I said. Sam smirked slightly before looking up at me.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Sorry for what?" I asked, concerned.

"Sorry for you being in there. It's kinda my fault. I kept pushing you and you finally agreed to hunt and-" he began to babble. I silenced him with a hard look.

"Sam, I was probably going to end up doing it anyway. I missed hunting a little too much. It's not your fault. Don't beat yourself up about it," I told him. He nodded slightly.

"Let you in on a little secret?" I asked. He wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion but nodded.

"That hunt was one of the best things that could've happened to me. I needed to go out one last time and risk my life to realize that I'm better off without it," I told him. The voice in the back of my head whispered, if ever so softly, _lie_, but I ignored it. Right now I was being rational.

"Now get out of here and let me rest," I teased gruffly. Sam smiled and headed to the door.

"You know, you can make it up to me by smuggling me some fried chicken," I teased as he was almost out the door.

Sam just rolled his eyes and proceeded to leave, shutting the door behind him.

I reached for the remote so I could call for the nurse, but she was already at the door, knocking. She peeked her head in around the door, and smiled when she saw me sitting up with the remote in hand.

"You're finally awake," she said, making the small walk across the room. She stood at the side of my bed and waited for me to reply.

"Haven't been for long. Just long enough to talk with my sister and a few friends," I told her.

She began inspecting all the wires I was hooked up to, but still kept her interest on me.

"I bet you're hungry," she said, and I nodded my head vigorously.

"We'll get you some dinner, then. Are you in pain?" the nurse asked.

"None so far. Although that's probably because I've been pumped full of painkillers," I said. She nodded slowly, working something over in her brain.

"I think we should keep you off the painkillers for now. If you need some more then we can get it to you but we need to see how you'll feel without them if you're going home tomorrow."

"Oh, I'm going home tomorrow," I said decisively. The nurse chuckled.

"We'll see when the doctor comes in to talk to you," she said. "Do you need anything else?"

"Not at the moment," I said with a shake of my head.

"Alright, buzz if you need me," she said with a soft smile. I nodded and she left the room.

I turned on the tiny TV that dangled over my bed and tried to find something worth watching. Most of the things on were old black and white westerns and movies that my grandfather would watch, if I'd known him.

Even though I'd slept for a day and a half straight after an hour and a half of watching _I Dream of Jeannie_, I felt myself drifting off. I wasn't out long though, when I was awoken by a knock at the door.

A handsome man in a lab coat peeked in and I figured that he was my doctor. I raised my head slightly off the pillow and he stepped inside, leaving the door open behind him.

He crossed the floor to my bedside, where he stood for a moment, looking down at me with slight concern as I adjusted myself so that I could sit up. He finally spoke when I'd gotten myself in a comfortable position.

"My name is Doctor Joseph Walsh. I've been your doctor during the duration of your stay here at the hospital. I suppose you've been filled in on your diagnosis," he said, as if he had no time to be retelling such unimportant things.

"Briefly," I replied. "They told me you weren't exactly sure what was going on but ruled it to be abdominal migraines."

Doctor Walsh nodded and stepped to the end of my bed to grab my chart. "This here says that you have no history of that problem, is that correct?" he asked.

I nodded. "Never had them before."

Doctor Walsh shook his head, unsatisfied by my answer. He strolled over to the window and stared out, as if he longed to be out beyond it instead of in here with me. I found his lack of compassion rather annoying, but ignored it.

"Abdominal migraines are hardly ever found in adults, and in the rare cases that they are, these adults had the problem as adolescents. As you did not, abdominal migraines do not seem to fit the bill. How are you feeling?" he asked, as if remembering that I wasn't just a case, and was in fact, a human being that could feel.

"Fine, really, if not a bit tired and loopy from all the pain meds you had them pump into me," I said to him.

"It was necessary. I didn't want you in any more pain than you had to be. According to your boyfriend, you were in a lot of pain before he got you here," the doctor said.

"Boyfriend?" I asked.

"Tall, dark hair. Stocky," he described. It took me a moment to realize that he was describing Dean.

"He's not my boyfriend," I told the doctor. "Family friend."

The doctor nodded, but he seemed to have forgotten the subject altogether as he stepped away from the window and rifled through my chart for a second time.

"How did your mother die?" he asked finally.

"I don't see how that's relevant," I said bitterly.

"It may help me to properly diagnose you," he said.

I sighed heavily and stared at my hands. "Animal attack," I said softly. He seemed to sense I was lying, but did nothing more than raise his eyebrows at me.

"Dear me. As of this moment I cannot give you a definitive diagnosis. I will, however, keep by my word and release you from this God forsaken place tomorrow as I promised to your _sister_," he said. I could tell from the way he put an emphasis on sister that he didn't believe she was my sister, either. He was a peculiar fellow.

"I'll leave you to your rest, then," he said when I didn't reply. He made his way to the door but stopped before leaving.

"Be careful. They might get the best of you next time," he said, and then wrinkled his eyebrows, as if he had no idea why he had spoken those words. He left soon after, and for that, I was grateful.

The next morning, the nurse came in bright and early and unhooked me from the ungodly amount of machinery they had me hooked up to. After signing a few papers, I was in the car with Tori and Sam, who had offered to come with her to pick me up. The ride was mostly silent, with only a few words spoken to ask me how I was feeling, or if the doctor had said anything of importance to me before I left. I didn't tell them about how strange he was, but I did tell them that he had given me a prescription for valium and told me that if the pain got too unbearable to come back in. I had asked Tori to take me to the drugstore to get it filled; not because I thought I would need it now, but because you never knew when the pain would strike.

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	5. Chapter 5

I yawned and stretched out in the comfy armchair in my study. It was late, even for my standards. But after two and a half days in the hospital, I was ready to just come home and curl up with a good book.

There was a soft knock at the door to my study, which was strange; hardly anyone ever bothered me while I was in here and never this late. I glanced at the clock. Quarter to two.

I got up and hobbled to the door. I might not have been in pain anymore, but I was still tender. Whatever that demon did to me, it wasn't something to play with. She'd made sure I suffered.

I peeked through the curtains to see who could possibly be bothering me at this hour, and I was surprised to see Dean standing outside the door, two beers in hand. I opened the door and light flooded the hallway, bathing him in it's yellow glow.

"Is something wrong? I asked. He shook his head no.

"I saw your light on. I was wondering if you wanted any company," he said a bit shyly.

"Sure, c'mon in," I said. He offered me a beer and I took it, although I knew I probably wouldn't drink it.

I crossed the room and sat in my armchair, gesturing for Dean to sit in one of the other chairs close by. Dean obliged and sat down without a word.

"I guess you two are leaving in the morning," I said softly. He nodded.

"Taking off after breakfast. We found a case in Wisconsin," he told me. I nodded.

"I almost wish I was a hunter again. You get to travel, see the sights…" I said with a sigh. I spotted the beer on the table next to me, where I had put it when I sat down and realized it wouldn't be a bad idea to drink it.

"You could come with us, you know," he said softly, before taking a swig of his beer. "If you wanted," he added.

"I can't," I said "I've got this place to run."

Dean nodded "You're a real good hunter, you know that? It's a shame you aren't out there anymore. I can't blame you for wanting a normal life, but… there's a lot of talent going to waste there."

I smirked. "Now don't be getting all sappy on me just 'cause you're leaving," I said, my voice dripping with sickly sweetness.

Dean just shook his head and took one last swig of his bottle.

"You better get to bed. Can't have you rolling into Wisconsin and fighting the paranormal when you're half asleep," I said. Dean nodded in agreement and stood, making his way to the door. He paused, however, before he left, with one last comment.

"The offer stands in the morning if you change your mind," he said. nodded and he left, shutting the door behind him.

It wasn't long after that I to my bedroom, shutting the door behind me and fully intending to go to sleep. But I couldn't. I sat on the end of my bed, trying to talk myself into going with. But none of my arguments stood made sense the way staying did.

With a sigh, I pulled out my battered old suitcase and began to pack it with all a hunter's essentials; pants, long sleeve shirts, boots, a suit for impersonating federal agents, etc. I even packed my extra toiletries. When all that was packed I grabbed a duffel bag, in which I put my guns, salt, holy water and a few knives, things I'd kept hidden under a loose floorboard beneath my bed.

I stood at the end of my bed, looking at the packed bags that sat before me. I added my laptop to the top of the pile and then just stood there, staring at the bags. With a sigh I grabbed them and shoved them under my bed. I wouldn't be using these things.

The next morning I awoke bright and early, just like every normal day before Sam and Dean showed up. I dressed and them made my way downstairs, where I found Sam and Dean already gorging themselves on Marcus' cuisine. I grabbed a plate myself, along with a cup of coffee, and sat at one of the extra chairs at their table.

"Well you look exhausted," Sam noted. I smiled.

"Long night," I explained, then took a bite of the oatmeal in my bowl. Sam nodded and continued to eat his food.

I could tell Dean wanted to ask the obvious question: had I decided yet? But he kept to himself, finishing his bacon before heading up to his room to finish packing. When Sam finished eating, I got up and cleared the dishes, taking them in o Marcus where they'd get washed. He paused over the oatmeal he was stirring and looked up at me.

"So, you taking off this morning?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Marcus to know everything that was going on here.

"I've gotta stay here and look after you," I teased, then I left the kitchen hurriedly. I didn't want to talk about it.

I walked out into the hall where I found Sam and Dean, standing by the door, bags in hand.

"I hope you didn't think you were going to run off without saying goodbye," I said, slowly walking towards them.

"Not a chance," Sam said, setting his bags down by the door and meeting me, before wrapping me in a huge hug that probably could've broken a few ribs.

"Sam, I need to breathe," I said. He chuckled and placed me safe and sound on the floor.

Dean stood sheepishly by the door, so I walked the remaining few steps and wrapped him up in a big hug, which, to my surprise, he returned. I must've hung on longer than was acceptable because Sam cleared his throat behind us and we broke apart almost instantly.

"Well, you two stay out of trouble. And don't be strangers, either. You better swing down and visit once in a while or I'll track you down and kick your asses," I threatened. They both chuckled.

"Good luck out there," I said, wrapping them both in one final, quick hug before opening the door and letting them exit. I shut the door quickly behind them, not wanting to watch as they drove away. It was hard enough to know they were leaving, let alone to watch them.

Truthfully, I wanted to go with. I really did. But I couldn't leave the inn, or Tori, or Marcus, here to fend for themselves.

"If you hurry now you could still catch them," Tori said from behind me. I turned around so see her standing behind me, holding my packed suitcase and the duffel bag I'd stashed under my bed. I smiled at her.

"You know I can't go," I told her. "I can't leave you and Marcus here to run the place by yourselves," I told her.

At that moment Marcus rounded the corner with a picnic basket.

"Good, I didn't miss you," he said, handing me the basket. "Now get your butt out of here."

I sighed and took my bags and the picnic basket, setting them at my feet. I pulled both Marcus and Tori into a huge hug.

"I don't deserve friends like you," I whispered softly. "Thank you both."

"It's not a problem. Just get your butt out there before they leave without you," Tori said, giving me a little push. I grabbed my bags and the basket, and turned to go.

"What about my mom's books and things?" I asked, turning back around. With a hand one hand on a shoulder, Tori and Marcus spun me around.

"We'll be your personal researchers when you need it. Just go. Everything will be fine," Marcus said.

With that, I nodded and turned around. Tori opened the door and I ran down the front and Dean were at the end of the driveway, about to turn onto the road.

"Hey!"I yelled as loud as I could. The impala lurched forward and then stopped, waiting for me. I took off down the driveway towards the impala, smiling.

"Got room for one more?" I asked.

Sam and Dean smirked and I opened the door and slid my bags across the seat. I sat down and shut the door behind me.

Dean sped out of the driveway and onto the road. We were soon on the highway, north to the great state of Wisconsin. I sat back in my seat, knowing there was going to be a long drive ahead of me.

Several hours later I was munching on some chips Marcus had packed for me when Dean spoke from the front seat. Sam was taking a nap, and other than the occasional sound of adjustment in one's seat could be heard.

"Will you hand me a Coke?" Dean asked.

I nodded and without looking up from my laptop, reached into the basket and pulled out a Coke, handing it to him before grabbing one for myself.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"Mhm," I replied, still not looking up from my laptop.

I skimmed over the police report on my screen. It had taken a while to hack into the system, but after a few tries I was able to get in and see the police report. Eighteen year old Sophie Carlton, of Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin, was the third drowning victim whose body had not been recovered in the last year. The kicker, according to her obit, was that she was on the varsity swim team. If that wasn't fishy enough, (pardon the pun), her brother apparently reported to the police that he thought he saw something pull her down. They obviously didn't put much stock into it, but it made the police report, if only barely.

I sighed and tossed my laptop aside, leaning back in the seat and wishing I had gotten a better night sleep the night before. I took a swig of my Coke and grabbed another handful of chips to snack on, but I wasn't really hungry. I was just bored out of my mind.

"This is the one thing I never missed about hunting," I said quietly, so as not to disturb Dean. He smiled at me through the rearview mirror.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" he asked.

"The car rides. They're usually silent and all too often boring," I said. Dean chuckled.

"Believe me, our car rides never get too boring," he said. I just smiled and shook my head.

Dean reached towards the radio and switched it on. The chorus of _Hotel California _blasted through the speakers a little too loudly. Despite the fact that I knew Sam was trying to sleep, I couldn't help myself singing along. It was one of my favorite songs that my mom and I used to listen to all the time.

_...Such a lovely face  
Plenty of room at the Hotel California  
Any time of year  
You can find it here_

Sam jumped like he'd just had the crap scared out of him, which he probably had, but Dean just stared at me in the rearview mirror as I began to sing the second verse.

_Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends  
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls friends  
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.  
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget_

To my utmost embarrassment, Dean had begun to sing along. I wasn't planning on making this into a sing along, but I had to admit it was kinda fun seeing Dean like that. I had to fight back a laugh as the song started to wind down.

_Mirrors on the ceiling,  
The pink champagne on ice  
And she said "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device"  
And in the master's chambers,  
They gathered for the feast  
They stab it with their steely knives,  
But they just can't kill the beast_

_Last thing I remember, I was  
Running for the door  
I had to find the passage back  
To the place I was before  
"Relax, " said the night man,  
"We are programmed to receive.  
You can check-out any time you like,  
But you can never leave! "_

Sam was staring at Dean with a look of utter horror on his face, and if I hadn't been the catalyst to the situation, I might've laughed, instead, I leaned my head back against the seat and listened to Sam and Dean trade snide remarks. For a moment, everything was good.

* * *

**Hello readers! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I just wanted to let you know of a few things so you're warned well in advance. :-)**

**Over the summer I will be attending a program at my local college. It is Monday thru Friday, 8am- 3pm, which is a lot like the school days I have now. This will go on for four weeks, after which I will be staying in the dorms at the college. Please do not be upset with me if I have sparse updates during this time. I will try my hardest to update as much as possible but I can't make any promises at this time.**

**Second, I wanted to tell you all that a lot of this fanfic is going to be original like chapters one thru five, but some of it, like what will be coming up in chapter five, will be from the show. FYI, all of the episodes that take place in Wisconsin will be worked in somehow, as it's my home state. :-) Other than that, I will try to only include episodes that I can smoothly work into the story and episodes that our my favorites. (I'm still trying to figure out how to work in Changing Channels when I get that far.) I'd like to keep this as original as possible, while still staying true to the show. **

**Thank you guys for bearing with me through this long author's note. Have a good day! DFTBA!**


	6. Chapter 6

My eyes flew open when I realized that the impala had stopped moving. I pushed myself into a sitting position and realized that we were stopped at a gas station. Dawn hadn't risen yet, but I knew we must be close to our destination. I stretched and decided I might as well get out and get something to eat.

I dragged my butt out of the car, even though I could tell by my reflection in the window that I had a serious case of bedhead. I grabbed my purse and made my way inside. Sam and Dean were grabbing snacks in the back of the station, so I walked back there to let them know where I'd be.

"I'm going to grab something to eat and then I'll be out," I said. Sam and Dean nodded. They both looked dog tired. I was glad that we were getting close.

I grabbed myself a pack of cinnamon PopTarts and a jelly donut, then made my way over to the coolers, where I grabbed a huge bottle of orange juice. I felt the stares of several of the gas station patrons but ignored them. They acted like they'd never seen a case of bedhead before.

After checking out, I headed back out to the impala, only to find Dean waiting a little too impatiently. I sighed and slid into the back seat before he took off down the road.

"How much farther?" I asked.

"We're on the border of Illinois and Wisconsin now. I think this town is called Beloit? Anyway, we have a few more hours of driving. We'll be there soon enough. But as soon as we get there we've gotta get to the police station," Sam replied.

"You two go to the station. I'll swing by the library and do a little research on the girl and her family," I told them. "See if she has any connection to another guy who drowned in the lake a few weeks ago."

"You don't want to go with us to the station?" Sam asked.

I shook my head. "That's not it. I just don't have a fake ID and it's probably best if someone does research anyway. We need to find out as much about those two that we can in order to figure out what killed them," I replied.

"You don't have a fake ID? What happened to all the one's you had before-" Dean began, then stopped, probably to avoid the subject of my mother. I sighed.

"I burned it all. The only things that I kept were my mother's. I wasn't going to return to this life," I told them. "Or so I thought."

"We're gonna have to fix that," Dean said, then added, "You keep talking about this thing like it's a ghost or something. What if it's some sort of water spirit or something like that?"

I shook my head, my eyebrows knitted together in concentration. "Just doesn't feel right to me. I don't think we've got the Loch Ness Monster on our hands. I was looking into the lake. There have never been sightings of such a beast. In places like Loch Ness, there are hundreds of sightings every year. If I had to bet it'd be that this isn't your average mythical beast."

"We'll see," Dean said, as if determined to prove me wrong.

I took a small bite of my donut and was happily surprised when it was filled with raspberry jelly. They were my favorite. My mom used to yell at me when I'd get them on the road because they made such a mess.

The thought of mom nearly made me rethink my entire decision to come with Sam and Dean. I kept telling myself that this is what I wanted, and therefore I shouldn't be guilty for doing it. But of course I did.

"Hey Sam?" I asked after pushing those thoughts from my mind.

"Hm?" he answered from the front seat.

"Mom told me that you went to Stanford," I said. "What happened?"

Dean nearly choked on the large black coffee he was drinking in the drivers seat, but I ignored him. Sam turned around slightly to speak with me.

"Dean came and got me from college after dad went missing, and we were hunting a woman in white in Jericho, California, simultaneously trying to look for dad," Sam said solemnly.

"And you just decided to quit school and hunt again?" I asked. That didn't seem like him.

Sam was silent for a moment, and I immediately suspected that whatever had pulled him back into hunting hadn't been a mere whim.

"Hey, you don't have to talk about it if-"

"My girlfriend was killed the same way mom was," he said. I tried hard to remember how their mom had died. I knew it was why John had gotten into hunting, but other than that, it was a little foggy. I suspected a demon.

"I'm so, so sorry," I told him.

Sam just shrugged it off. "Not your fault," he said, before adding, "but thanks."

The car became silent then. _This couldn't get more awkward_, I thought. I felt bad for bringing it up but I honestly hadn't known.

A few hours later we rolled into the parking lot of a small, rundown hotel. It wasn't exactly five star accommodations but it'd have to do. I could tell Sam and Dean weren't used to the glamorous life on the road. Not that I was accustomed to one either, but at least mom knew how to pick out a decent hotel.

"I'll go in, get the rooms. You two stay out here," I instructed, getting out of the car before they could argue.

After walking a little ways to the lobby, I opened the door and stepped inside. The old obese woman behind the counter glanced up from her magazine but I didn't hold her attention for long. Making my way up to the counter, I noticed how stifling hot it was in the room. I sighed.

"Hello, I'm looking to book two hotel rooms, preferably conjoined," I told her. She held up a finger to silence me, and I began to tap my foot impatiently. Could she be any more rude?

Finally, she set her magazine down and turned her attention to me.

"What was it ya needed, sweetheart?" she asked in a sickly sweet voice. Bile started rising in my throat but I fought it back.

"Two rooms, one with a king and the other with two twins. Preferably conjoined," I told her. She started typing something away on an old Dell computer that was probably older than I was.

"How many nights? Cash or credit?" she asked when she'd finished typing.

"Credit," I told her, before adding, "And I'm not sure how long we'll be here."

She nodded, looking slightly pissed off that we couldn't give her a definite amount of days. Like there was a line down the street waiting for hotel rooms.

She handed me the keys, not even telling me what rooms we were in, but thankfully, the numbers were on the keys. Sam and Dean were waiting impatiently outside the impala, and when I got close enough, I tossed one set of keys to Sam.

"Hope those are the right ones. The lady inside was a bitch," I told them. Sam chuckled and began to take his things out of the trunk. Dean and I followed suit, gathering up our bags and then making our way to the rooms.

"The room with the king is mine," I told them as we approached the door. Dean huffed slightly at my decree but he knew that's the way it had to be. "Also," I added, "they should be conjoined rooms. That way we're right there if something happens."

Sam nodded. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, turning on the light.

"This one's ours," he said over his shoulder.

"Mkay," I replied.

I unlocked my own door and stepped inside, closing the door behind room smelled a little funky, but other than that it exceeded my expectations. Apparently, I had set the bar a little low.

I threw my stuff on the bed and and then knocked on the second door; the one that only Dean and Sam could unlock. It was opened within seconds by Sam, who moved out of the way to let me inside.

"You two go ahead and talk to the police," I told them. "I'm going to the library to see if I can dig up anymore about Sophie Carlton. Don't forget to cobble me an ID."

"You sure you don't want to come?" Dean asked, taking his suit out of his bag.

"Nah. I want to get a shower in and you two really don't have that much time to waste. 'Sides, if we're gonna figure out what this is we've gotta do some research," I told him.

"Alright, fine. But give me the number to your burner phone so I can call you if we find anything," Dean said with a sigh.

I sighed. "Got your phone out?"

"Hold your horses, woman," Dean snapped playfully.

"My name is Katherine, not 'woman'," I bit back. Dean ignored me.

"Go ahead," he said.

"It's 985-555-9403," I told him. He finished typing and then snapped his phone shut.

"We'll call you as soon as we know something," Dean said.

I nodded. "Same."

I turned to go back into my room but Sam stopped me. "You got a gun?" he asked.

I nodded. "Don't go hunting without one," I replied.

"Good," Sam replied. "You never know what you'll run into."

I nodded. "You two get dressed and head out," I said, then retreated to my room. Once inside, I shut and locked the door behind me. I didn't want either of them accidently walking in while I was getting dressed. Not that I thought they would, since they were leaving, but it was better safe than sorry.

I grabbed some shampoo and shower gel from my bag and made my way to the bathroom.

After a quick shower, I was standing in the hotel room when I heard the faint sound of my ringtone and picked up my phone. It was Tori. I'd forgotten I'd texted her my number last night.

"Hello?" I asked before my phone could go to voicemail.

"Are you alright? Why haven't you called?" she demanded in one long breath.

"Calm down, Tori. I'm fine. I just got out of the shower. We've only been here for an hour, hour and a half," I told her.

Tori let out a loud exhale. "I got a little worried," she said.

I gave a light laugh. "Only a little, huh?"

She found no humor in the situation and replied a flat "huh."

I chuckled. "Listen, I've gotta go do some research at the local library. Can I call you later?" I asked.

"Alright," she said with a sigh. "Call me later, okay?"

"Yep," I agreed, not really paying attention as I was trying to find a my clean pair of pants.

Tori hung up and I began searching move vigorously for my pants. However, before I could find them, my phone rang again. This time it was Sam.

"Have you left yet?" he asked before I could even say hello.

"Not yet," I replied. "Why?"

"Dean forgot our hotel key in the room. We'll need it for later," he said.

I sighed. "Alright. Let me get dressed and I'll run it out in a few," he said before hanging up.

I dug through my clothes one more time. Finding nothing but a pair of yoga pants, I threw those on, deciding to say the hell with it and pulling a sweatshirt on as well. I unlocked the door on my side of the double doors and found Sam and Dean had left their side of the door opened. I stepped inside their room to find half of it with clothes strewn about; the other side was Sam's.

I chuckled as I made my way over to the table, where the keys were laying, forgotten. I'd figured they'd have been forgotten there; tossed aside and never thought about until it was too late.

I grabbed the keys and then went back into my room, shutting the door behind me. A car horn sounded outside the door at that moment, and I rolled my eyes. Dean was so impatient.

I grabbed my laptop and purse and then left the room, locking the door behind me. I walked a few feet towards the impala and leaned down, my arms folded across the window ledge on the driver's side of the car.

"Forget something?" I asked, dangling the keys in front of Dean's face.

"Ha, ha, very funny," Dean said, snatching the keys from my hand and shoving them in his pocket.

"I thought so," I teased, then took in the sight of both him and Sam dressed in suits and ties.

"You almost look like a gentlemen," I teased.

"Almost," Dean grumbled. Sam smirked.

"Drop me off at the library?" I asked.

"If you stop making cheeky remarks and hurry up and get your ass in the car. We've got places to be," Dean replied.

I rolled my eyes and slid into the back seat. Before I could even get my seatbelt on, Dean took off like a bat out of hell, and I grumbled under my breath.

A few minutes later, I was staring up at the library, which was pretty large considering the size of this town. I walked up the steps and entered the building, the smell of paper and leather filling my nostrils. The smell of old books. The smell of good research.

I made my way to a group of tables and sat down, pulling out my laptop and settling in for the long haul.

Three hours and two cups of coffee later, I'd found little about the lake or Sophie that would help with the case or that I hadn't known already. I'd even managed to pry some information about Sophie from the librarian, but all she did was rave about the young girl and talk about how she was gone too soon. I decided to go outside and call Sam and Dean to see if they had any leads for me, but neither of them answered, so I went back inside.

"Oof," I said when I ran into something. I looked down to see a little boy standing in front of me, holding a stack of books and looking at me bewilderedly.

"I'm sorry," I said, kneeling down in front of him. He didn't speak, so I tried again.

"I used to love that book," I said, pointing to a battered copy of _The Lorax_ by Dr. Seuss.

"Lucas," said a young dark haired woman behind him, and he turned around to face her.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. There was a bit of a mishap. I accidentally ran into him. I was just making sure he was okay," I told her.

She nodded. "It's alright. Things happen."

"Katherine Briggs," I said as a way of introducing myself before holding out my hand for her to shake.

"Andrea Barr," she said, taking my hand and shaking it.

The name Barr rang a bell, but I couldn't quite place it, so I shook it off.

"Well, I shouldn't keep you. Have a nice day," I told her. She smiled and gave a small nod.

"Thank you," she said.

I decided to pack up my laptop and things after printing out everything I could find about Sophie and her family, which wasn't much. Her mother was dead, and her only family was her brother and father. They were a pretty clean family.

I'd found no records to connect the last victim with Sophie, although I finally found out why Barr had sounded familiar. The man who'd died had been Andrea's husband. And come to find out, her son, Lucas, had been there when it happened. No wonder the poor boy hadn't spoken to me when I'd accidentally ran into him.

With everything printed, I tucked the papers into my laptop bag and left the library. The air was crisp but not cold, so I decided to take a walk around the square and ended up at a diner. I ordered myself a burger and fries and sat there waiting for them.

Dean called seconds after my food arrived, and like his brother, didn't wait until I said hello before speaking.

"Where are you?" he asked from the other end of the line.

"I'm sitting at a diner in the square. It's called Lakeland restaurant," I told him with a sigh.

"We'll be there in two minutes," he said before hanging up. I heaved another sigh before calling the waitress over.

"I've got two more coming," I said apologetically. "They're going to be hungry."

* * *

**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to update! I've had a busy week! I hope you like this chapter! Drop me a line to tell me what you think! **


	7. Chapter 7

"Tell me again why after after a day or research, we still have nothing to go on," Dean insisted as he stabbed a piece of pie more violently than necessary.

"You know, it'd be easier to bring back something of use if you'd have told me any leads," I said to him.

"Alright, both of you shut up," Sam said, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not going to be blamed here. I dug up everything I could about that damn family and in return all I get is a scolding because it's not enough," I spat.

"We'll no offense but-" Dean began, and I slammed my fist down on the table, causing several people to look over at us with alarm.

"If you think you can do it so much better, than maybe you should," I told Dean.

"Maybe I will," he said defensively.

"Fine then, it's settled," Sam said. "I'll take Katherine out with her new badge and you can stay home and research."

Dean huffed and mumbled something unintelligible under his breath but I ignored him and addressed Sam. "I want to speak wit Lucas Barr. Or try to anyway," I told him.

Sam nodded. "We met him at the police station. His mom is the sheriff's daughter."

"His mom is also the widow of the drowning vic before Sophie," I told him. "And Lucas was there when it happened."

"If he saw anything, that could really help our investigation," Sam agreed.

"Thing is, we can't just stroll up to the kid and ask him what happened since he doesn't speak," I said.

"I know, I know," Sam said with a sigh.

"Maybe there's some other way," I contemplated.

"Well, what do we know about the kid?" Sam asked.

"He draws," Dean said quietly.

"How on earth-" I began, but Dean cut me off.

"I pay attention," he said defensively.

"Well maybe we could get him to draw something," I suggested.

"Have you ever even talked to the kid?" Dean asked incredulously.

"Actually, I have," I spat back.

"If you two don't stop arguing I swear to God," Sam said, finally fed up with our bickering.

We both huffed and stared daggers across the table at each other.

"I hate to be the bad guy here, but as of right now, I'm agreeing with Katherine," Sam said. "We need to go check this kid out, and we need to get it done soon, before more people start dropping dead."

Dean huffed again but said nothing more.

"I'm finished," Sam said, pushing his plate away.

"We should head to the hotel," I said, and he nodded in agreement before turning to Dean.

"You done yet?" Sam asked.

"Dean nodded his head stiffly and threw down the money for our food, before scooting out of the booth, pushing Sam with him.

We made our way outside to the impala, and I opened the door and slid into the back seat. Dean took off and a few minutes later we arrived back to the hotel.

I grabbed my key and unlocked the door to my room, stepping inside. I crossed the floor to my bag, digging through it one last time and finally finding a pair of jeans. I threw them on and then knocked on the door between our rooms.

"Come in," Sam said.

I walked in to find Sam sitting at his computer and Dean watching some doctor show on the TV.

Sam held up one finger. "It'll just be a minute," he said.

I nodded and leaned against the doorway with a sigh.

"I'm going with," Dean said quietly, breaking the silence. Sam opened his mouth to argue, but I spoke first.

"Whatever floats your boat," I told him, and I could tell that both Sam and Dean were both surprised at my answer.

Sam snapped his laptop closed and stood with a sigh. "I'm ready."

We all left, piling into the impala before taking off to find where Lucas and Andrea were. Dean claimed she'd said something about taking Lucas to the park, so we decided to start there.

Sure enough, when we pulled up, Lucas was coloring by the equipment and Andrea was sitting on a nearby bench, watching him intently. Sam, Dean, and I slid out of the car after Dean parked it and made our way over to her.

She glanced up when she heard our footsteps and looked confused when she saw me walking with Sam and Dean.

"Katherine, right?" she asked.

I smiled. "Yes, that's me."

"Are you with the Wildlife Service as well?" she asked.

I nodded. "A proud worker for four years," I told her with a small smile.

Andrea returned one of her own. "Well, what can I do for you?"

"We'd like to speak with Lucas, if that's alright," Dean said.

Andrea grimaced. "I'm afraid you won't get much from him. Like I told you before, he hasn't spoken since his father's accident and-"

"We'd just like to try," Dean interrupted. "What's the harm in that?"

Andrea looked unsure of herself for a moment and then nodded. "Alright, fine," she told Dean.

Dean and I made a move to go to Lucas at the same time, and as I did so, Dean shot me a look, but I ignored it; this had been my idea after all.

"You don't have to tag along," Dean said over his shoulder when we were out of earshot of Andrea and Sam.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," I said back with heavy sarcasm.

We walked slowly side by side to Lucas, who was coloring intently.

The closer we got, the further I hung back, until Dean had gotten to the bench and I was a good three feet behind him. I stayed there too, listening to Dean speak to the boy as if he were his equal. I was ready to jump in if I needed to, but Dean was good with the boy. That surprised me a lot. I was expecting him to not know the first thing about kids, but I was pleasantly surprised when he exceeded my expectations.

"You didn't butt in," Dean said as we headed back to Sam, who was still talking with Andrea.

"I didn't need to," I told him. "You were good with him."

Dean seemed just as surprised by my answer as I was by saying it. But it was true; I didn't butt in because I didn't need to. Dean had controlled the situation pretty well.

"Well it's not rocket science," Dean said, trying to play it cool. "He's just a scared kid. We've all been there, haven't we?"

"I nodded. " I think I'd be in the same boat as Lucas if it were me," I said solemnly. "Poor kid."

We'd gotten back to Sam and Andrea at this point. Andrea called for Lucas, and he immediately came running, carrying his crayons and drawings in hand.

"C'mon sweetie. Let's go see Grandpa," she said, holding out her hand. However, instead of taking her hand, he rushed past her and ran up to Dean, whom he gave the picture, before running over and taking his mother's hand.

I raised my eyebrows, questioning Dean but he just shook his head.

I held out my hand to Andrea and she took it, shaking it lightly. "Have a good day," I told her.

She smiled and nodded. "You too."

Andrea and Lucas left, and both Sam and I immediately turned to Dean.

"What's that?" I asked.

"A drawing," Dean replied, handing it to me. I looked it over. The drawing was of an old house seemingly out in the woods.

"What do you think it means?" Sam asked.

Dean just shook his head.

"You up?"

I groaned and rolled over in bed, glancing at the alarm clock on the bedside stand as I did so. 7 am. Lovely.

"Who's asking?" I yelled back.

"It's Sam. I've got breakfast and news," he said.

I sighed and sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I'd been up most of the night trying to see if I could figure out anything Lucas before he'd went mute from his father's accident. I thought it might give us a clue about him, but I'd come up mostly empty handed.

I threw my blankets aside and put my feet on the floor, contemplating whether to turn back into the warm embrace of my bed. In the end, I decided against it. I was burning daylight.

I threw on a sweatshirt over my cami that I'd worn to bed and then opened the door and trudged into Sam and Dean's room.

"There better be coffee," I grumbled, walking over to the table where Dean was sitting.

Sam chuckled and handed me a cup of steaming hot coffee.

"Thank God for coffee," I breathed, closing my eyes and taking in the scent.

"I think you should be thanking Sam," Dean joked, and I rolled my eyes.

"So what's this news you had to pull me out of bed for?" I asked Sam.

"I think you were right. We can rule out Nessie," Sam said.

I smirked at Dean. "See? Told ya," I said to him. He just shook his head at my childish ways.

"What makes you think that?" Dean asked.

"I just drove past the Carlton house. There was an ambulance there. Will Carlton is dead," Sam replied. I gasped.

"He drowned?" I asked.

"Yep. In the sink," Sam said. I stared at him in disbelief.

"What the hell? So Katherine's right, this isn't a creature. We're dealing with something else," Dean said.

"Yeah, but what?" Sam asked.

I shrugged. "Water wraith, maybe? Some kind of demon? I mean, something that controls water...water that comes from the same source."

A sudden wave of realization seemed to wash over Sam.

"The Lake."

"That explains why it's upping the body count. The lake is draining. It'll be dry in a few months. Whatever this thing is, whatever it wants, it's running out of time," I said.

"And if it can get through the pipes, it can get to anyone, almost anywhere," Dean said slowly.

Dean stood up suddenly. "This is going to happen again.

"Yeah. And we know one thing for sure. This whole thing seems to be centered around Bill Carlton," Sam said.

"Yeah, it took both of his kids," I added.

"I've also been doing a little asking around. Lucas' dad, Chris- Bill Carlton's godson," Sam finished.

"I think it's time we paid Mr. Carlton a visit," Dean said.

"What do you think?" I asked from beside the impala after our attempt to question Bill Carlton had failed quite miserably.

"I think the poor guy has been through hell, losing both his kids like that. But I also think he's not telling us something," Dean said.

"What are we going to do now?" I asked.

Neither Sam nor Dean responded. I don't think either of them knew what to do now.

A few moments later, however, Dean broke the silence with a rather ambiguous, "Huh."

"What?" Sam asked.

"Maybe Bill's not the only one who knows something," Dean replied, showing us both the picture that Lucas had drawn; a picture of Bill Carlton's house.

**Hello readers! I am so sorry it's taken so long to update! Monday I started my college program, Tuesday and Wednesday I went camping, Thursday I had college, Friday I had a college field trip, and Friday night I got grounded. It's been a pretty tough week. But I hoped you enjoyed this! Remember, comments are**** greatly appreciated!**


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